You don't ask "is your son going to 'trade school' without asking what is he learning...
Conversely, what is better, a humanities degree from an Ivy or an Engineering degree from State U. ? I mean it is apples and oranges.
absolutely, i've always said you get as much out of school as you put into it... you can get a good education at state schools and with a little extra effort, usually as good as or maybe even better than the privates for one hell of a lot less money
“What always amazes me is how most educated people lump all degrees and all different types of colleges and university into one pot - called “college”. To me somebody goes to college to get a degree in something, college is just a tool.”
I agree with your statement. Everyone needs training and education after high school, perhaps renewed every few years after an initial period of training and education. The questions are what level of training, what types of training/education, and how to deliver it in a cost effective manner. The current model is broken both from cost and types of training/education perspectives. The current approach has degenerated into a local cottage industry focused on perpetuating its own existence with an unsustainable cost model.
Here is a symptom of the broken nature of higher education. In my field (information systems), the market for professors has been in a tail spin since 2002. Before this period, it was easy to get a position at increasing salaries. Since 2002, the supply has far outstripped the demand. Normally this condition prompts a decline in salaries espcially at the entry level. However, this decline has not occurred as salaries have continued to increase. Last year, none of the graduates from a very strong program were placed. Every position has hundreds of applicants with a very strong core of applicants (perhaps 50 to 100) for every position. As I understand, starting salaries exceed my salary (mid 130s). One school is offering $185,000 for an entry level professor. In a working labor market, you could hire an entry level professor for a third of this level.